Illegal dumping reportedly on the rise in Clearlake

CLEARLAKE -- City officials have seen a rise in illegal dumping and think many cases involve residents who are duped into hiring a hauling company that actually discards the refuse in isolated areas around Clearlake.

In these situations, people contract with businesses purporting to specialize in property cleanup or trips to the landfill. In actuality, the workers just dump the load throughout the city rather than disposing of it lawfully, Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli stated.

"Hiring a reputable company with proper licensing to perform these tasks can be beneficial, but property owners need to understand that they could be held liable for the illegal dumping," Celli added.

The lieutenant recommended residents ask the company for receipts for services rendered and from the county landfill. That information could be used to track the illegal dumpers and provide protections for property owners.

Illegal dumping is punishable by financial penalties or jail time, and any adverse environmental impacts may result in additional consequences.

The city's code enforcement program was cut for budgetary reasons almost four years ago, but officials plan to start addressing such issues on a limited basis, according to Celli. The focuses will be on "extreme public health and safety concerns," he added.

The city is accepting applications from people interested in volunteering their time to code enforcement, particularly with clerical duties such as taking complaints, returning calls, managing paperwork and mailing notices.

Anyone wanting to submit a volunteer application or register a code enforcement complaint should contact Julie Burrow at 994-8201.